Plant profile - Snowdrops, an update

Having already written a plant profile about snowdrops in 2015 and 2018, and now having added even more varieties to my own garden and the nursery garden, Its seemed a good idea to do an updated blog.

This genus of well-known and often coveted bulbs is native to Europe from the Pyrenees in the west to Caucasus, Iran and Turkey in the East. Many people think the Snowdrop is a native of Britain, or brought to the British Isles by the Romans but it is more likely they were introduced in the 16^th Century.

Galanthus nivalis

They do well in shady conditions, under trees or shrubs in moist but well-drained soil, with some leaf mould if available. Here they will naturalise and spread around giving a fabulous display in the depths of winter when we need some cheering up. Some are even scented, a bonus for sure! Once planted snowdrops are self-sufficient and happy to be left to their own devices. Some of the more unusual varieties are a bit choosier and because they are a bit more expensive to buy I like to grow them in my alpine troughs, so I can keep an eye on them and they have fewer plants to compete with. Some cultivars need a bit more attention, cover and protection in winter or grown in pots, but that’s a whole other topic of conversation. For now, I’m going to concentrate on the ones I love and grow in my own garden and the nursery garden where I have found they do very well on our exposed hill in the Scottish Borders at 850 feet above sea level in clay soil in the nursery gardens.

Galanthus 'Lady Elphinstone'

Galanthus 'John Gray'

Our hearts and minds lift at the first sight of these tiny, delicate yet extremely hardy little gems. I have several cultivars dotted about the garden along with the native snowdrop Galanthus nivalis. The species spreads itself around very well if it is happy. Most of the native snowdrop (G. nivalis) I have planted were one of the few plant surviving in the derelict garden of the ruin my ex and I bought in 1999. The house dated from the 18th century so I imagine these are quite old and I've planted some in my new garden at home and at the nursery so they continue to give me joy when I see them. The cultivars take a bit longer to bulk up, apart from Galanthus nivalis 'Flore Plena' which spreads as readily as its species cousin. Plant Galanthus with other winter interest plants such as Bergenias, Hellebores, Winter Aconites, early daffodils, Crocus and evergreen ferns for a wealth of winter interest in the garden.

Dryburgh Abbey

In recent years Snowdrops have become a bit of a collectable genus in the horticultural world. Their collectors have even earned their own collective name: Galanthophiles. People will pay a small fortune for one tiny bulb of rarer varieties, with some going for over £300! I once bought 3 bulbs of Galanthus 'John Grey' for £8 a bulb and thought that was excessive, but that was 20 years ago, things in the snowdrop world have changed a lot sinse then. There are many books on the subject and several specialist nurseries selling them. Popular and very collectable are yellow snow drops such as G. 'Wendy's Gold'. Another yellow is G. 'Lady Elphinstone', a double and so very striking.

Howick Hall

Threave Gardens

The flowers of Snowdrops are well worth looking at closely. Each flower is a drop of white with different markings and this is what makes them interesting to collectors. The nodding bell-shaped flower is held on a slender stalk amongst the leaves. The flower usually bears six tepals rather than petals arranged in two whorls of three, the outer being larger. The shorter inner tepals are tapered and usually bear green markings at the base, occasionally the markings are yellow, green-yellow or absent depending on species.

Galanthus 'Desdamona'

Galanthus John Grey, Hill Poe,
Magnet, Flore Plena and nivalis

When buying snowdrops, it is always better to buy them in the green, i.e. when they are in leaf, not as dried bulbs. There are lots of nurseries advertising snowdrops in the green: be sure they come from a reputable source and are not being dug up in the wild! For some of the rarer gems have a look at the following nurseries and gardens which I have used myself:

www.camboestate.com

www.elworthy-cottage.co.uk

www.snowdrops.me

www.ashwoodnurseries.com

Galanthus in shot glasses - perfect scale

A great way to see Snowdrops and spend a pleasant afternoon with the family is to visit one of the many gardens that open in February for the snowdrop season. The easiest way to find out where there is one near you is to do an internet search for "where to see snowdrops". Here are some of my favourites and recommendations, including blog posts of Snowdrop visits we’ve done:

Dryburgh Abbey Snowdrop Blog Post

Kailzie Gardens Snowdrop Blog Post

Dawyck Gardens Snowdrop Blog Post

Cambo gardens, Fife www.camboestate.com

Howick Hall, Northumbria www.howickhallgardens.org

Cringletie Hotel www.cringletie.com/gardens

www.visitscotland.com/see-do/events/scottish-snowdrop-festival

Some display ideas I have done in the past

Snowdrops are good for cut flowers, bees, long flowering, winter interest, clay soil and shade. If you have a space in a shady part of the garden I would recommend you give these plants a go. Which one to go for depends on your colour preference. The Quirky Bird grows and recommends the following:

Galanthus elwesii

Snowdrop Galanthus Elwesii have larger flowers with an emerald green patch at the base. Also known as ‘giant snowdrop’, as it towers above other species.

Galanthus elwesii 'Marjory Brown'

This variety has a distinctly blue hue to the wide arching glaucous leaves. A single inverted 'V' at base of inner segments of the flowers.

Galanthus nivalis

The native snowdrop with its small white, bell flowers with a green smudge on the inner petals. Easy to naturalise. H 15cm.

Galanthus nivalis 'Flore Plena'

The commonly found double with its broad flouncy green and white flowers, often found wild as commonly as its single cousin.

Galanthus nivalis 'Viridapice'

Long white pendant flowers, with painted green tips to each of the outer segments. A fine strong-growing snowdrop. An older form, which has given rise to many green-tipped clones.

Galanthus woronowii

This species bears large, single, white, gently nodding flowers with green-tipped white segments, on short stems above bright green, shiny, strap-like foliage.

Galanthus 'Blewbury Tart'

A curious and quirky flower on this snowdrop. Distinctive upward facing double flowers have a dark green rosette surrounded by narrow outer segments.

Galanthus 'Desdamona'

Relatively large flowered, irregular double, most strongly distinguished by the frequent appearance of a third leaf on a single shoot with occaisonal four perfect outer segments.

Galanthus 'Ginns Imperati'

A large vigorous hybrid similar to G. 'S Arnott', but shorter and with rounded flowers. It has a strong perfume of bitter almonds.

Galanthus 'Hill Poe'

A late flowering double whereby the solid looking flower is tightly packed with inner segments that form a neat rosette. Grows well with us in clay soil.

Galanthus 'John grey'

Snowdrop with exceptionally large, heavy, pendant flowers with a large, spreading, single green mark on the inside petals. Early-flowering. H 15cm.

Galanthus 'Ketton'

A superb and very beautiful snowdrop large well-rounded flowers forming showy clumps in time. The inner marks merge together. Late flowering.

Galanthus 'Lady beatrix Stanley'

This variety has large well-shaped double flowers with long narrow pointed sepals enclose many layered neat white petticoats, faintly edged green. Early flowering.

Galanthus 'Lady Elphinstone'

Fabulous fully double yellow marked flowers, very sought after.

Galanthus 'Magnet'

A few snowdrops are noted for their special fragrance, and the honey scent of ‘Magnet’ is at its most noticeable as the outer petals rise to the horizontal on sunny days. A most elegant snowdrop, the large flowers have an inverted green 'V' on the inner petals, hang on distinctive long, arching stems and tremble in the slightest breeze.

Galanthus 'Ophelia'

A Geatorex Double, hence the Shakespearean name with rounded flowers held well above the foliage, one of the best double cultivars with a long flowering period.

Galanthus 'South Hayes'

A beautifully marked snowdrop on the outer petals. Also has a solid green inner mark.

Galanthus 'Straffan'

Flowers later than other snowdrops and has a shinier white flower appearance. The leaves are glaucous and flat. The outer tepals are long clawed and the outer face of the inner tepals have a small neat inverted U-shaped mark.

Galanthus 'The Apothecary'

A worthwhile hybrid between nivalis and plicatus which flowers just after Christmas. A handsome flower with a neat sinus mark.

Galanthus 'Wendy's Gold'

One of the most popular yellow snowdrops, with a yellow ovary and pedicel. The inner mark almost extends up the whole of the inner segment. Occasionally prduces two flowers per bulb.